Congratulations are in order if you’re expecting a new baby! Your friends and family want to celebrate your baby by throwing you a baby shower. So, it’s time to make a baby registry to pick out all the things you’d like to get for your bundle of joy. Besides having a baby registry for gift givers, it can be a great checklist for you, too. Most parents don’t expect that they will receive furniture off their registry, but it’s nice to have everything in one place as a shopping list.

Don’t forget the major categories. My daughter made her debut a little over 6 weeks before her due date. I was in the hospital on the day I was supposed to have my baby shower, and I was slightly panicked that we needed a lot of stuff. A nurse told me to just worry about the basics. I needed a car seat to bring her home, somewhere for her to sleep, and diapers. I planned to breastfeed, so I didn’t need to worry about much else. Since she was coming earlier than expected, we also needed to stock up on some preemie-sized clothes. Relax. Even if you forget something, you can always have it shipped to your door.

Something to carry baby in.

A car seat is a must. Most parents also want a stroller and a baby carrier, too.

A place to put baby to play.

A swing, bouncer or activity mat all help a lot. I like to have different baby gear in rooms throughout my house so my babes could have lots of options. Tip: When mom needs a shower, bring the baby into the bathroom in a portable bassinet or something you can easily move.

Somewhere to put baby to sleep.

A crib, co-sleeper or pack-n-play. Check out the AAP’s guide to safe sleep.

Bathing baby.

Even if you plan to bathe baby in the sink, it’s nice to have something like the Blooming Bath or a wash pod. You can also register for essentials like baby shampoo, lotion or nail clippers.

Tiny clothes.

Don’t go overboard registering for clothes. Lots of people love to give clothing, so there will be no shortage of adorable outfits.

Diapers.

Add cloth diapers to your registry so that your friends and family know you intend to use cloth diapers. Hopefully, they’ll help you get your stash started.

Emergency kit.

The first time baby spikes a fever is not an ideal time to run out to the pharmacy for infant acetaminophen. Add some baby pain reliever, nasal spray, diaper rash cream and a thermometer to your registry so that you will be prepared when you need it.

Listen up.

If baby will be sleeping in its own nursery from the beginning, a baby monitor will give mom and dad peace of mind that everything is okay.

Nursery necessities.

What does baby need in their nursery? A crib, sheets, possibly a changing table and rocker or glider. Other less obvious things would be a cool mist humidifier for stuffy noses, cute decorations, blackout curtains, and a white noise machine.

What to avoid on your baby registry.

Don’t get too crazy with pacifiers. You don’t know if your baby will even be interested in one. I recommend trying a few styles, but it’s not necessary to request the larger sizes. In my excitement, I opened all of the pacifiers and sterilized them. Turns out my daughter preferred her thumb and we had a bunch of mostly unused pacifiers I couldn’t return.

Skip the wipe warmer. Someone gave me theirs, and honestly, we never used it. I briefly stored cloth wipes inside it without turning it on, but it was too bulky.

Baby blankets are adorable and incredibly soft, but you don’t need many. I really only used one on the floor for baby to play on. I do, however, love a good muslin swaddle. They are perfect for swaddling, burp cloths, nursing covers and more.

If you don’t have room to store items for a long period of time, don’t request items on your baby registry that won’t be used for a long time, like toys for toddlers, plates, etc.

Have fun and enjoy creating your baby registry! Don’t forget to make your baby registry at Cotton Babies.